| Reagan | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Sean McNamara |
| Screenplay by | Howard Klausner |
| Based on | The Crusader byPaul Kengor |
| Produced by | Mark Joseph |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Christian Sebaldt |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | John Coda |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | ShowBiz Direct |
Release date |
|
Running time | 141 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $25 million[2] |
| Box office | $30.1 million[3][4] |
Reagan is a 2024 Americanbiographicaldrama film directed bySean McNamara and written byHoward Klausner, based onPaul Kengor's 2006 bookThe Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism. The film starsDennis Quaid as PresidentRonald Reagan, alongsidePenelope Ann Miller,Jon Voight,Kevin Dillon,David Henrie, andMena Suvari.[5]
Filming began on September 9, 2020, and included locations such asGuthrie, Oklahoma.Reagan was theatrically released in the United States on August 30, 2024. It received negative reviews from critics and at the45th Golden Raspberry Awards was nominated for 6 Razzie Awards including Worst Actor for Dennis Quaid and earning Jon Voight theWorst Supporting Actor award and grossed $30.1 million.
Moscow, 2001, Russian politician Andrei Novikov arrives at the home of formerKGB agent Viktor Petrovich, and questions why the Soviet Union fell. Petrovich, who was assigned to surveil U.S. politicianRonald Reagan, discusses the Soviet Union's past ambitions to infiltrate Washington, D.C. and Hollywood. Petrovich details Reagan's childhood in 1920sIllinois, where his fatherJack was an alcoholic but his motherNelle instilled Reagan withChristian values.
Reagan becomes aborn-again Christian, and works as a lifeguard and radio announcer. He later moves to Hollywood, where he becomes an actor forWarner Bros. AfterWorld War II, Reagan's status as aleading man is in decline, though he is elected president of theScreen Actors Guild in 1947. During theHollywood blacklist era, Reagan becomes an FBI informant and feuds withHerbert Sorrell, a union organizer. Reagan's marriage to actressJane Wyman ends in divorce due to his political involvement and the premature death of their daughter Christine.
In 1949, Reagan meets actressNancy Davis, and the two marry in 1952. In1964, Reagan campaigns for Republican presidential nomineeBarry Goldwater, and delivers his "A Time for Choosing" speech. Reagan discusses his political future, and decides torun for governor of California in 1966. In 1969, Governor Reaganclashes with students at theUniversity of California, Berkeley, and has thestate National Guard sent in to quell the protests.
In 1970, the Reagans hold prayers withPat Boone and pastor George K. Otis, who prophesies Reagan will become president if he "walks uprightly" before God. Six years later, Reaganchallenges incumbent PresidentGerald Ford for the Republican nomination at theRepublican National Convention but loses in the delegate count. Fordloses the election to DemocratJimmy Carter, and Reagan runs again for president in1980. He beats Carter and forms a friendship withTip O'Neill, the DemocraticSpeaker of the House.
In 1981, after delivering a speech at theWashington Hilton, Reagan isshot and wounded. Upon returning to the White House, Reagan clashes withDavid Stockman, the White House budget director, overhis tax cut proposal. When Reagan learns thatair traffic controllers are on strike, he fires the air traffic controllers who do not return to work within 48 hours.
Reagan selectsGeorge Shultz as hisSecretary of State to handle diplomacy with the Soviet Union. Despite this, in 1983, Reagan labels the Soviet Union as anevil empire. Tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union escalate when Soviet interceptor planes shoot down acommercial passenger plane. Meanwhile, there are nationwide protests againstReagan's handling of the AIDS crisis, though Reagan stillwins reelection in 1984 overWalter Mondale in a landslide.
By the time of Reagan's second term,Leonid Brezhnev's successors had died in office, making diplomacy difficult. Reagan meets with UK Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher, who persuades him to meet with Soviet leaderMikhail Gorbachev. At theGeneva Summit in 1985, the two leaders negotiate nuclear disarmament, but Reagan is reluctant to sign an agreement due to his support for theStrategic Defense Initiative (SDI). A year later, theIran-Contra scandal breaks, and Reagan is threatened with impeachment. Reagan denies there were arms traded for hostages, but backtracks in anOval Office speech.
Despite Shultz's opposition, Reagan delivers a speech near theBrandenburg Gate, and demands for Gorbachev totear down the Berlin Wall. In 1989, Reagan leaves office and theBerlin Wallfalls shortly thereafter; the Soviet Uniondissolves two years later. In retirement, Reagan experiences memory lapses and in 1994, discloses he has been diagnosed withAlzheimer's disease. Reagandies in 2004, and international leaders attend his funeral to pay their respects.
In 2010, it was announced producerMark Joseph would be producing a feature film biopic ofRonald Reagan with Joseph having been inspired to take on such a project after reacting to the miniseriesThe Reagans with distaste.[31] ScreenwriterJonas McCord had initially been uninterested in the project, but changed his mind after deciding that Reagan's childhood and formative years were dramatically rich.[31] Klausner and McCord wrote the script based on a book byPaul Kengor:The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism.[32] Kengor described the script's development as faithful to both his books and history.[33]
In 2012,Jon Voight was in discussions to portray Viktor Petrovich, whom Kengor said "is actually a character based on a number of KGB agents and Soviet analysts who we now know were tasked with keeping tabs on Ronald Reagan for many years".[34]
In August 2016, it was reportedSean McNamara, who had, at 18, worked as a sound engineer on the filming ofReagan's inauguration ceremony in 1981, had signed on to direct.[2]John G. Avildsen had been in negotiations to direct prior to his death.[35]Penelope Ann Miller, who playedNancy Reagan in the film, describedReagan as being aRocky like love story where the primary focus would be on the romance between Ronald and Nancy.[35]
Joseph had trouble securing financing for the film with several deals made before production actually started, only for the money to never actually come through. This led to Joseph turning to outside independent financing which made up the film's $25 million budget.[35]
Principal photography began on September 9, 2020. Filming locations includedGuthrie, Oklahoma. It was announced on October 22, 2020, that filming had shut down after several crew members tested positive forCOVID-19 in the midst of theongoing pandemic.[36][37] Filming resumed on November 5, 2020.[10]
Local casting was handled by Freihofer Casting out ofNorman, Oklahoma.
The film features prominent musicians' covers of standards.Bob Dylan singsCole Porter's "Don't Fence Me In" over the end credits.Gene Simmons covers the 1930s standard "Stormy Weather".Clint Black singsJohn Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads."[38] The original score was composed byJohn Coda.
Reagan was originally due to be released in 2021 but was then delayed to an unspecified date.[37][39][40] In March 2024, it was announced ShowBiz Direct would theatrically distribute the film on August 30, 2024.[41]Facebook temporarily restricted the film from advertising on its platform, alleging that the ads were efforts to influence the2024 United States elections.[42][43] In March 2025, it was announced thatUniversal Pictures Content Group had acquired most international rights to the film fromVoltage Pictures excluding countries such as Spain, Portugal, Lithuania, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia and Poland where it had been theatrically released prior, with plans for a digital-only release.[44]
Reagan grossed $30.1 million worldwide.[3][4]
In the United States and Canada,Reagan was released alongsideAfrAId,Slingshot,1992, andCity of Dreams, and was projected to gross $5–7 million from 2,754 theaters in its four-day opening weekend.[45] It grossed $2.6 million on its first day, including $525,000 from Thursday night previews.[46][47] The film earned $7.7 million during its opening three day weekend, and $10.3 million over the four day Labor Day Weekend.[48][49] The theater with the highest grosses for the film on opening weekend was located inEdmond, Oklahoma, nearby where the film was in-part shot.[46]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 18% of 68 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "WhileReagan the movie undoubtedly admires Reagan the man, its cloying and glossy rendering of history flattens the 40th U.S. President into caricature."[50] The audience score was much more favorable at 98%, giving the film one of the largest audience-to-critic score gaps in the site's history.[51]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 22 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[52] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those surveyed byPostTrak gave it an average 4.5 out of 5 stars, with 77% saying they would definitely recommend it.[46]
Bilge Ebiri ofVulture said the film was "purehagiography, but it's not even one of those convincing hagiographies that pummel you into submission with compelling scenes that reinforce their subject's greatness."[53] Writing inThe Wall Street Journal,Kyle Smith said, "Mannered acting, dismal cinematography, clunky attempts to enhance excitement via gimmicks such as slow motion, and a musical score like a fountain of goo all serve as flashbacks to Reagan-era network schlock."[54] Nick Schager ofThe Daily Beast wrote, "Regardless of how you feel about Ronald Reagan the president, most will be united in finding this biopic a preachy, plodding, graceless groaner."[55]
The Washington Post'sTy Burr gave the film 1.5/4 stars, writing, "The faithful for whomReagan was made aren't likely to see that it's a hagiography as rosy and shallow as anything in aKremlin May Day parade. As pop-culturepropaganda — popaganda, if you will — the movie's strictly for true believers. As history, it's worthless."[56] Glenn Kenny ofThe New York Times deemed the film an "unabashed love letter to the former president", concluding, "It all makes for a plodding film, more curious than compelling."[57]
Bill Newcott ofThe Saturday Evening Post gave the film 3/5 stars, calling it "A shamelessly adoring biopic that is single-handedly rescued from worshipful ignominy by its star, Dennis Quaid, who stubbornly chips through the script's plaster façade to offer glimpses of a man who spent his entire career concealing his complexities."[58]
In December 2024,Owen Gleiberman ofVariety placed the film in his "Top Worst Movies of 2024" list at #3, writing "it’s like watching aninfomercial for an aw-shuckscult leader."[59]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Film and TV Awards | November 9, 2024 | Outstanding Performance In A Historical Drama (Special Award) | Penelope Ann Miller | Won | [60] |
| Golden Raspberry Awards | February 28, 2025 | Worst Picture | Mark Joseph | Nominated | [61] [62] |
| Worst Actor | Dennis Quaid | Nominated | |||
| Worst Supporting Actor | Jon Voight[a] | Won | |||
| Worst Supporting Actress | Lesley-Anne Down | Nominated | |||
| Worst Screenplay | Howard Klausner | Nominated | |||
| Worst Screen Combo | Dennis Quaid and Penelope Ann Miller | Nominated | |||
| Movieguide Awards | March 6, 2025 | Faith and Freedom Award for Movies | Reagan | Won | [63] |
| GMA Dove Awards | October 7, 2025 | Feature Film of the Year | Nominated | [64] | |
| Will Rogers Medallion Award | November 1, 2025 | Western Film - Drama Feature | Won | [65] |
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